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(No Model.)

G. W. BOSTWIGK, V. KRASKE & R. LORANG.

MANDOLIN.

No. 597,352; Patented Jan. 11,1898.

INVENTORS,

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1 mm 6 1 FM P A NWIHN 0 2 W M Z WW 1 6 w 4 5 1 CSL m 0 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. BOSTXVIOK, VICTOR KRASKE, AND RUDOLPH LORANG, OF SAGL NAWV, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE BARROXVS MUSIC COMPANY,- OF

SAME PLACE.

MANDOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,352, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed May 22,1897. Serial No. 637,809. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. BosrwIcK, VIcToE KRASKE, and RUDOLPHLORANG, citi zens of the United states, residing at Saginaw,

in the county of Saginawand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Mandolins; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the ligures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Our invention relates to and is a mandolin;

and it contemplates also certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts, whereby certain important advantages are obtained, together with an improvement in tone and capacity of the instrument. lleretofore it has been common in the construction of these in struments to cut a circular or oblong hole in the sounding-board, and in order to obtain the best tone results by such construction it was found necessary to cut this hole about a certain distance from the bridge 011 the sounding-board and between it and the fret or finger board, which was made to extend to the edge of this hole in order to give as much ca pacity as possible for the frets or scale, the length of the finger-board being limited by the hole in the sounding-board, as mentioned.

By constructing a sounding-board as hereinafter described we are enabled to lengthen the finger-board five or more frets without changing the usual length of the strings and also raise the pitch or air vibration of the instrument from three to five half-tones, which greatly improves the tone quality of the in andolin.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective of our mandolin. Fig. 2 is a plan view of under side of sounding-board. Fig. 3 is a section of the sounding-board on line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a section on either lines Y Y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on lines \V W' of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on line Z Z of Fig. 2.

1 is the body of the instrument, and 2 is the sounding-board.

3 3 are what we term f-holes, such as are found in the sounding-board of violins. The mandolin not being played with a bow it must necessarily have a much thinner sounding-board, yet of sufficient strength to pre- 5 5 vent warping and to properly distribute the Vibrations, as hereinafter shown by our particular bracing. \Ve do not wish, however,

to limit ourselves to this particular form of holes, it being our intention to claim, broadly, any form of holes cut in the sounding-board at or near the positions thesef-holes are out,

as shown in the drawings, which, it will be observed, are between the bridge and fingerboard and at the side of a vertical plane through the center of the instrument.

6 is the fret or finger board and extends over and is attached to the sounding-board at any point desired toward the bridge on a line between the holes 3, and by reason of these fholes 3 being placed at the side, as described, the finger-board can be made longer, the capacity in the instrument illustrated being increased live or more frets, 7. This length may be increased or diminished, as de sired, there being no hole or anything to prevent the lengthening of the finger-board, as there is in the usual construction.

at is the bridge, and 5 the strings of the instrument.

In order to reach the highest acoustic of feet, also to distribute the proper strength to the soi'inding-board 2 and to prevent the same from warping, we have adopted a system of bracing. (Illustrated in Fig. 2.) A portion this bracing is old, such as the center brace 18 and the cross-brace 8 under the brid;

9 is a transverse brace above the ends e-t' the holes 3, extending from shore to shore of the board 1O 10 are braces extending from the junction of braces Sand 18 and at an angle to these braces to the inner upper edge of the f-holes 3 and are rigidly secured to the sounding-board 2 along the edge of the hole, the brace being provided with the slopin face 11, extending back from the edge, so as not to be seen through the hole This prevents the board 2 along this part of the edge of the hole from warping, as it will do if not pre- 10o vented. Another function of the peculiar bracing is to more evenly distribute the vibrations to all portions of the sounding-board 2, the form being shown in cross-section in Fig. 1-, the rear side 12 of these braces 10 being also beveled. .Ve do not wish, however, to limit ourselves to securing these braces 10 10 at this particular angle, it being our intention to claim any form of bracing which radiates from the holes .3.

1 3 13 are braces extending from themiddle edge of the holes 3 outward. Their surfaces are beveled also, the surface it next the edge sloping back, the sides 15 and 16 sloping upward, as shown. Fig. -i illustrates this form as well as that of braces 10, the lettering being different.

17 is a small brace at each end of the f-holes connecting the small tip of the board within the frame of the hole with the body part of the board, and extends across a portion of the holes 3, and will consequently show from the front of the hole it it at this point is large enough,

Of course it is understood that with a change in form of the holes 3 a change in the -position of the braces would be required; but the general system of bracing would be the the samcviz., the braces radiating from the holes 33 and having a beveled edge when it approaches the edge of the hole. We find that by this system of radiating the braces from the holes 3 the tone of the instrument is improved. It is not necessary to extend the linger-board as illustrated, as the ordinary length may be used; but by the extension described we give greater scale capacity to the instrument, and consequentlymake it more desirable.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a soundingboard provided with two irregular holes above the bridge of the board, the system of bracing whereby the edges of that portion of the sounding-board around the holes will be prevented from warping, comprising braces radiating from the edge of the holes, the surface of the brace sloping away from the edge of the hole, as described.

.at mandolin having a sounding-board provided with two /'-holes just above the bridge, one on each side of the center of the instrument, whereby the linger-board may be extended farther over the sounding-board and be provided with an increased number of frets, and the linger-board having an increased numbcr ot' frets, and means under the sounding-board. for preventing the edges of the holes of the sounding-board from warping and injuring the tone of the instrument comprising braces radiating from the holes of the sounding-board.

In testimony whereof we hereunto ai'tix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. l S'WVICK. VICTOR- KIRASKE. RUDOLPH LORANG.

\Vitnesses:

A. ll. Swantrnion'r, FANNIN Renews. 

